It is by all odds the loftiest of cities. It even managed to reach the highest point in the sky at the lowest moment of the depression.
E. B. WhiteRead
There's no limit to how complicated things can get, on account of one thing always leading to another.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Life is inherently complex and one event can lead to many others, making it unpredictable.
E. B. White highlights the interconnectedness of events and circumstances in life, suggesting that complexity arises from the natural flow of occurrences; one action can set off a chain reaction, leading to unforeseen consequences. This quote emphasizes the intricate and often convoluted nature of existence, reminding us that simplicity is rare and that we must navigate through layers of complications in our daily lives.
Themes
ComplexityInterconnectednessLifeConsequencesEvents
In practice
Example use cases
In a group discussion about the unpredictability of life events.
More from E. B. White
All quotes →It isn't silence you can cut with a knife any more, it's interchange of ideas. Intelligent discussion of practically everything is what is breaking up modern marriage.
E. B. WhiteRead
The main thing I try to do is write as clearly as I can. Because I have the greatest respect for the reader, and if he's going to the trouble of reading what I've written -- I'm a slow reader myself and I guess most people are -- why, the least I can do is make it as easy as possible for him to find out what I'm trying to say, trying to get at. I rewrite a good deal to make it clear.
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A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus.
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A despot doesn't fear eloquent writers preaching freedom- he fears a drunken poet who may crack a joke that will take hold.
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All writing is communication; creative writing is communication through revelation-it is the Self-escaping into the open.
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